8 days

Sunday: Arrival of guests in Asti, accommodation in the hotel, Welcome cocktail with short introduction to your trip, welcome dinner and overnight.

Monday: Guided tour of a farm near Asti, that produces vine cuttings, to know and see how to prepare the ground, how to plant and grow the vine cuttings of some of the most renowned vines in Piedmont and to create a vineyard; country lunch; Following stop in Alba to meet the manager of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Barolo e Barbaresco, to know details of their activities for the coordination and promotion of the wines in Langa and Roero. Excursion to Barolo and visit of one of the most ancient wine cellar of the area, the Cantina Marchesi, where you’ll discover secrets of the production of wines and their ageing in traditional casks or barriques.  Visit of their private collection of vintage wines of every year of production, an unique example in Italy; wine tasting and following gourmet dinner in the hall. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Tuesday: Transfer to Pessione (TO) to visit the wine-making cellar of Martini & Rossi Establishment, with its wine machinery; seminary about the first phases of transformation from the grapes to the must and to the wine; visit of the Martini Historical Museum; country lunch; afternoon visit to the joinery Gamba Botti near Asti, specialised in the building of the traditional oak barrels and the French barriques; gala dinner at a Michelin restaurant near Asti. Overnight in hotel.

Wednesday: Visit to the Asti Spumante (white sparkling wine) Consortium, including a lesson on the charmat and champenois methods and on the serving of aromatic wines; traditional lunch with the typical Monferrato dish called “fritto misto”; afternoon transfer to Cisterna d’Asti, to visit the castle with its Museum of ancient country tools and craft; dinner in a country-inn in near Asti. Overnight.

Thursday: Visit to the ageing cellar of a farm near Asti, including seminary about the different kind of wooden containers (big cask, tonneau and barrique) and tasting of some differently aged wines; light country lunch; afternoon excursion to Mombaruzzo: visit to a distillery, lesson on the typical “grappa” distillation and tasting; dinner on your own. Overnight.

Friday: Visit to Gancia Wine Cellars in Canelli, to see the production of “spumante” (white sparkling wine) and vermouth; visit to the Regional Enotheque of Asti Moscato and lunch on your own; afternoon visit to a cork factory and to various establishments specialised in the production of the machinery for pressing, wine-making, bottling and labelling. Traditional dinner in a restaurant near Asti. Overnight in hotel.

Saturday: Excursion to the Professional School in Agliano Terme for a lesson on the use of glasses and the temperature for the serving of wines. Following visit to a cellar near Asti, tasting and seminary about the main DOC and DOCG wines of the area; country lunch; in the afternoon you’ll have free time at disposal in Asti for shopping at the local market or individual excursions; wine-cocktail tasting at a coffee-bar in the city centre; farewell comparison dinner with dishes belonging to both the country poor cuisine and the noble refined one. Overnight.

Sunday: Delivery of diplomas to all guests, goodbye cocktail and light “traveller lunch” before departure.